Car roof



152 4120; C. D. BONSALL April 12,1927.

Filed Oct. 4, 1925 .///.s .Jqh-ro ewe K5.

//v VISA/roe Patented Apr. 12, 19.27.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO P, H. MURPHY COMPANY, OF NEW KENSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR ROOF.

Application filed October 4, 1926.

This invention relates to flexible car roofs and has for its principal object to produce a flexible single course car roof of simple and economical construction that is easy in application and that will readily adapt itself to the distortions of the car frame incident to service conditions. The invention consists in the parts and in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a car roof embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the car at the ridge on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse cross section through the ridge portion of the roof on the line 33 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the eaves portion of the roof in the region of one of the outside carlines, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 in Fig. 4.

The present roof comprises Z-bar side plates 6 that are connected by outside metal carlines 7 of substantially inverted channel shaped section with outwardly projecting lateral base flanges 8 at the lower edges of their side walls. The Z-bar side plates 6 are preferably arranged with their webs vertical and with their top flanges extending inwardly and their bottom flanges extending outwardly. Wooden filler strips 9 extend longitudinally of the car beneath the carlines and are secured to the top flanges of the side plates.

Roof sheets 10 extend transversely of the car from eaves to. eaves thereof with their eaves end portions movably supported on the filler strips 9. The roof sheets are spaced apart along their adjacent side margins which are provided with upstanding flanges v11 that terminate short of the eaves ends of the sheets; and the ends of said roof sheets are provided with depending eaves flanges 12 that overhang the outer surfaces of the webs of the side plates and are normally spaced therefrom. Each roof sheet is stiffened at its middle and adjacent to each of its side margins by flat-topped stiffening ribs Serial No. 139,303.

13 that extend transversely of the car from end to end of the sheet. As shown in the drawing, an angle shaped eaves flashing 14 spans the spaces between the adjacent eaves corners of the sheets and is arranged with one flange resting on the wooden filler strips 9 and with its other flange overlapping the outer edges of the said filler strips and the vertical webs of the side plates.

The inverted channel shaped outside carlines 7 straddle the spaced side marginal flanges 11 of the roof sheets and are of a width suflicient to permit limited angular adjustment of said seam flanges in said carlines. The end portions of the carlines rest on the wooden filler strips and are provided with depending end flanges 15 that overhang the vertical Webs of the side plates and the adjacent ends of the depending eaves flanges 12 of the sheets and are rigidly secured to said webs between sheets by means of horizontal rivets 16. The side marginal por tions of the depending end flanges 15 of the carlines 7 are offset outwardly, as at 15 to provide clearance between said flanges and the depending eaves flanges 12 of the sheets.

Extending longitudinally of the ridge above the roof sheets and across the tops of the carlines 7 is a series of outside framing members 17 which serve as tie or strut members to maintain proper spacing of the carlines at the ridge. Each of the members 17 has a main body portion of substantially channel-shaped section, with outwardly extending lateral top flanges 18 at the upper edges of its side walls, and end portions 19 of substantially flat section that rest on the tops of adjacent carlines. The flat end portions 19 of adjacent members 17---are overlapped over the carlines 7 and are rigidly secured thereto and to each other by means of rivets 20. The bottoms of the channel shaped body portions of the frame members 17 slope from each endto the middle. whereby the channels are deeper at the mid dle than at the ends and merge into the plane of the top flanges 18 thereof adjacent to the flat end portions 19. The bottoms of the channel members are provided adjacent to the middle thereof with drainage openings 21, which prevent the accummulation of moisture in said members. Running boards 22 extend. longitudinally of the car at the ridge and are bolted to the lateral top flanges ot Z-shapcd running board saddles 23, whose lateral base flanges rest on the overlapped ends of adjacent frame members 17 and are rigidly secured in place by the rivets 20 which secure said members to the carlines.

The root sheets are suspended from and pivotally connected to the tie members preterably by means of suitable swivel members or pivots 2st tired to the roof sheets at the centers thereof. Each of said swivels or pivots comprises a cylindrical body portion which is journaled in a vertical. circular opening 25 provided there tor in the bottom or web of the channel shaped brace member located thereabove, and upper andlower end portions of reduced diameter which receive washe 26 and 27 and are riveted over said washers to retain them in place. As shown in the drawing, the upper washer 26 is of larger diameter than the hole which forms the bearing for the pivot portion of thepivot, thereby preventing withdrawal oi. said pivot from said hole and serving to support the central portion of the sheet from the bracermember 17 disposed thereabove. The lower end of the pivot extends through a hole provided therefor in the top of the middle stili ening ribs of the sheets and is riveted over the lower surface or the Washer 27, thereby firmly securing the pivot to the sheet.

By" the foregoing arrangements of parts the-sheets are'pivotally anchored at their centers by the brace members for the carlines and are normally spaced from each other and from the webs 0i the side plates and sidesof the carlines, with the result that each root sheet-is "free to accommodate itseljl' automatically to the distortions of the car frame by pivoting about a point located at its center. It is noted as an important advantage at my invention that the pivotal. connections between the roof ieets and the brace members also serve to support the sheets midway of their ends, thereby dispensing with the use of ridge poles and purlins formerly used for thispurpose and thus saving-the costthereof. It is also noted that said connections prevent bodily movement of the sheets towards and away from each other-and crosswise of the car. Other advantages of the foregoing construction are its simplicity and cheapness of construction and the ease withwhich the parts may be assembled.

Obviously, the hereinbe'lore described arra ngement admits of considerable modificatioh without departing from the invention; therefore I do not Wish to be limited to the precise arrangement shown and described.

' What I claim is:

1. A car roof comprising side plates, roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and supported thereon, outside carlines covering adjacent margins oi? said sheets and rigidly secured to said side plates, and members extending from carline to carline at the ridge and rigidly secured to said carlines, said members being located above said sheets, and means for connecting said sheets to said members, said side plates and said members constituting the sole supporting means for said sheets.

2. A car root comprisingside plates, roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and n'mvably supported thereon, outside carlines covering adjacent. margins of said sheets and rigidly secured to said side plates, men'ibers located above said sheets and extendinglongitiuilinally of the car at thei'idge andrigidly secured to said carlines, and means for supporting the central portion of the sheets from said members, said means being adapted to secure a pivotal movementof the sheets about points located at their centers whenever there is movement of the sheets.

3. A car root comprising a frame, root sheets supported. thereon with their adjacent margins spaced apart, outside earlines covering the adjacent side, margins of said sheets and rigidly secured to said frame, members extending longitudinally of the ear above the roof sheets and rigidly secured to said carlines, and pivotal connections between said-members and the central portion of said roof sheets.

l. A car IOOfl comprising side plates, root' sheets extending, from side plate to side plate with their end portions supported thereon, outside carlincs covering adjacent margins of said sheets and rigidly secured to said side plates, and members extending longitudinally o:t the car above theirool sheets and secured to said carlines and to said root sheets.

5. A car root comprising side plates, roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and supported thereon, outside carlines covering adjacent margins cl said sheets and rigidly secured to saidside plates, members extendinglongitudinally of the .car at the ridge above the roof sheets and); rigidly secured to said carlines, and pivotal connections between said members and the een ter of said roof sheets.

6. A car roof comprising side platemroof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and supported thereon, outside carlines covering adjacent margins of said sheets and rigidly secured to said side plates, members extending longitudinally of the .car at the ridge above the roof sheets and rigidly secured to said carlines,and pivotal conneetions between said members and the centers of said root sheets, said members being of substantially inverted channel shaped section between carlines and having end portions of flat section and are rigidly secured to adjacent carlines.

7. A car root comprising side plates, roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and supported thereon, outside carlines covering adjacent margins of said sheets and rigidly secured to said side plates, members extending longitudinally of the car at the ridge above the root sheets and rigidly secured to said carlines, and pivotal connections between said members and the central portions of said roofsheets, said members extending from carline to carline with their adjacent ends overlapped and rigidly secured to the tops thereof.

8. A car roof comprising side plates, roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and supported thereon, outside carlines coverin adjacent margins of said sheets and rigidly secured to said side plates, members extending longitudinally of the car at the ridge above the roof sheets and rigidly secured to said carlines, and pivotal connections between said members and the centers of said roof sheets, said members being of substantially inverted channel shaped section between carlines and having end portions of flat section and are rigidly secured to adjacent car-lines, said members having openings in their bottoms to provide "for drainage.

9. A car roof comprising side plates, roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and supported thereon, outside carlines coverinv adjacent margins of said sheets and rigidly secured to said side plates, members extending longitudinally of the car at the ridge above the roof sheets and rigidly secured to said carlines, and pivotal connections between said members and the central portions of said roof sheets, said members comprising a channel-shaped middle portion and flat end portions that overlap adjacent carlines and are rigidly secured to the tops thereof.

10. A car roof comprising side plates, roof sheets extending from side plate to side plate and supported thereon, said sheets being provided at their centers with upwardly oilset portions, outside carlines covering adjacent margins of said sheets and rigidly secured to said side plates, members extending longitudinally of the car at the ridge above the roof sheets and rigidly secured to said carlines, and pivotal connections between said members and the upwardly offset central portions and said sheets.

11. A car roof comprising side plates, root sheets extending from side plate to side plate and supported thereon, said sheets being provided midway of their side margins with stifiening ribs, outside carlines covering adjacent margins of said sheets and rigidly secured to said side plates, members extending longitudinally of the car at the ridge above the roof sheets and rigidly secured to said carlines, and pivotal connections be tween the ridge portions of said stifiening ribs and the members located thereabove.

Signed at New Kensington, Pennsylvania, this 29th day of September, 1926.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL. 

